Vintage Episodes: SNL Through the Years

[stonehaven]

Just watched the Betty White episode on Hulu,. All of the Jay Z stuff was cut..so was the Metal version of the Golden Girls Theme and the CSI Miami parody. That one sketch never made it online and I could never figure out why...

Would love to stay up and watch it air tonight to see if they put everything back in but I gotta work at 6:30am tomorrow...

[formerlyfreedom]

Since NBC is re-airing Betty White's 2010 hosting gig tonight, there is a topic for that episode now - you can find it here. Thanks!

[Spartan Girl]

I’m glad they kept Eddie Murphy for the vintage episode and ran the uncut Betty White at the regular time.

[Pete Martell]

 

[JakeyJokes]

On 1/1/2022 at 7:55 PM, stonehaven said:

Just watched the Betty White episode on Hulu,. All of the Jay Z stuff was cut..so was the Metal version of the Golden Girls Theme and the CSI Miami parody. That one sketch never made it online and I could never figure out why...

Would love to stay up and watch it air tonight to see if they put everything back in but I gotta work at 6:30am tomorrow...

The CSI Miami parody was probably cut because they used the theme song. My parents DVR’d it so I was able to see it again — it’s still funny and I completely forgot that Rachel Dratch was the other character.

As for Jay-Z, I still remember that his second song was “Forever Young” and at the end he dedicated it to Betty, which was so damn sweet and classy. 

[Spartan Girl]

Oh screw them for cutting Dan’s bit as Casey Anthony’s dog on WI. That was the best part of the show!!!!

[Pete Martell]

An oral history of Betty White's week as host:

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/01/betty-white-saturday-night-live-oral-history

[Pete Martell]

This week's Vintage is Charles Barkley/Kelly Clarkson (season 37). The next week is Channing Tatum/Bon Iver (also season 37). 

[WendyCR72]

I read Meat Loaf had been on SNL. Wonder if his episode will air?

[PBnJay]

The Charles Barkley rerun was one of the best ever, at least the segment before WU. It sort of tanked after that. But Barkley was brilliant. I laughed so hard at his White People Problems segment when he said "That problem is so white it should go snowboarding."

[Pete Martell]

On 1/21/2022 at 9:18 PM, WendyCR72 said:

I read Meat Loaf had been on SNL. Wonder if his episode will air?

I had wondered if they might bump tonight's for his season 3 episode (he was also on in season 7, a year Lorne wasn't there, so less likely to be seen). Sadly, didn't happen.

[Pete Martell]

 

[Spartan Girl]

Kind of disappointed that they didn’t use Saturday’s vintage episode to mention that the 40th anniversary of John Belushi’s death. 

[Hanahope]

wow, its been that long?  i was that young?  i thought i was older when he died.

[ebk57]

On 3/7/2022 at 7:58 AM, Spartan Girl said:

Kind of disappointed that they didn’t use Saturday’s vintage episode to mention that the 40th anniversary of John Belushi’s death. 

A short time after that, his brother Jim starred in the tour of Pirates of Penzance that came to our theatre.  Jim was...a little out of control.  When he came back a few years later (just to visit and see Cats (yeah, Cats...) ), he was very nice and apologized for his behavior at the time.  We, or course, totally understood, but it was nice of him to mention it. 

[Spartan Girl]

2 hours ago, ebk57 said:

A short time after that, his brother Jim starred in the tour of Pirates of Penzance that came to our theatre.  Jim was...a little out of control.  When he came back a few years later (just to visit and see Cats (yeah, Cats...) ), he was very nice and apologized for his behavior at the time.  We, or course, totally understood, but it was nice of him to mention it. 

Yeah, he was performing in Pirates when he heard the news—on the radio. He was so sure it was a joke that he called the station to find out what was going on, and then had to hurry to break the news to his family before they found out the same horrible way. And then he went ahead with the performance anyway. Can’t imagine how hard it must have been.

[Pete Martell]

Bob Odenkirk was on  Howard Stern, promoting  his book and the final season of Better Call Saul. He shared some old SNL stories, in a few  clips. This one has him blasting Steven Seagal's hosting stint, which will never not amuse me. 

 

[vb68]

Bob would be a great host with the final season of Better Call Saul about to start. Just a thought.

[Pete Martell]

Tonight's Vintage is Adele/H.E.R. 

[PBnJay]

On 3/13/2022 at 12:47 AM, vb68 said:

Bob would be a great host with the final season of Better Call Saul about to start. Just a thought.

I love Bob Odenkirk.

[Spartan Girl]

On 3/19/2022 at 10:16 PM, PBnJay said:

I love Bob Odenkirk.

Me too. I just read his book and it was great. He had lots of good stories to tell about SNL; he was the one that wrote the very first Matt Foley skit, having originated it with Chris Farley on Second City. But he had no love for the Chippendale’s skit. Like Chris Rock, he thinks it was just one big fat joke. And…they aren’t wrong. Chris Farley was hilarious in that skit and his dance moves are great…but yeah, I’m not sure people were laughing with him or at him. And Bob believes that moment cemented Chris’ mindset that he’d always have to be fat to be funny.

Oy, his stories about Chris really were heartbreaking. The one that really got me was when Bob took him home one night after a bender, and a drunk and emotional Chris asked him if he thought Belushi was in heaven. 

[Pete Martell]

This week's "vintage" is Rege Jean Page/Bad Bunny (ft. the most recent MG, Rosalia).

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 3/22/2022 at 8:53 PM, Pete Martell said:

This week's "vintage" is Rege Jean Page/Bad Bunny (ft. the most recent MG, Rosalia).

Shit.  Missed it.  LOL.  I thought Rege was amazing.  It's okay, I can get the episode on demand.

[Pete Martell]

On 3/24/2022 at 1:18 AM, Ms Blue Jay said:

Shit.  Missed it.  LOL.  I thought Rege was amazing.  It's okay, I can get the episode on demand.

Sorry, I just saw this. This repeat is airing tonight.

[Ms Blue Jay]

2 minutes ago, Pete Martell said:

Sorry, I just saw this. This repeat is airing tonight.

I saw that!  Thank you!  The thing is though, it's only the 1 hour version.  I want the whole thing!  

[Pete Martell]

5 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I saw that!  Thank you!  The thing is though, it's only the 1 hour version.  I want the whole thing!  

I'm sorry about that. I think the sketches are all on Youtube, although I know that doesn't help. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

2 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

I'm sorry about that. I think the sketches are all on Youtube, although I know that doesn't help. 

Don't worry, I have the full episode wink wink!!!!!

[Pete Martell]

Tonight's  Vintage is Pamela Anders/Rollins Band, from season 22.

[Lantern7]

1 hour ago, Pete Martell said:

Tonight's  Vintage is Pamela Anders/Rollins Band, from season 22.

That is old. Well, old enough. Anyone know if there’s a specific reason for this episode?

[Pete Martell]

1 hour ago, Lantern7 said:

That is old. Well, old enough. Anyone know if there’s a specific reason for this episode?

It aired nearly 25 years ago, but my best guess would be they have repeated a lot of season 22 over the last year, and Pamela and Tommy Lee were in the news somewhat recently for that series on their marriage.

[Spartan Girl]

Oh boy, that episode really hits differently now. Especially the monologue, where she stripped naked in front of the whole audience,

[PBnJay]

This episode reminded me why I stopped watching this show for some years. The only good part IMO was Tommy Lee, and I've never been a fan. So for him to be the high point of the hour sort of says something.

[Mediocre Gatsby]

This Pamela Lee episode might be the only time I haven't laughed once during a Weekend Update (Norm McDonald, in this case). That was atrocious. 

I was wondering if they chose this episode because of the news this week that Tiger Woods might play in the Masters (the vintage episode was done after his first Masters win in 1997). 

[heatherchandler]

6 hours ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

This Pamela Lee episode might be the only time I haven't laughed once during a Weekend Update (Norm McDonald, in this case). That was atrocious. 

 

I laughed at the “OJ’s mom said he did it, I didn’t even tell her yet” joke!

[cpcathy]

On 4/2/2022 at 2:49 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Oh boy, that episode really hits differently now. Especially the monologue, where she stripped naked in front of the whole audience,

I was genuinely embarrassed for her, the writers gave her nothing.

[Bossa Nova]

never mind

Edited April 4, 2022 by Bossa Nova

[Pete Martell]

On 4/3/2022 at 3:20 PM, Mediocre Gatsby said:

This Pamela Lee episode might be the only time I haven't laughed once during a Weekend Update (Norm McDonald, in this case). That was atrocious. 

I was wondering if they chose this episode because of the news this week that Tiger Woods might play in the Masters (the vintage episode was done after his first Masters win in 1997). 

 

19 hours ago, cpcathy said:

I was genuinely embarrassed for her, the writers gave her nothing.

This is one of those "she's hot!!!!" episodes SNL used to have much more frequently (JLo's episodes are the main continuations of that tradition). It's too bad, because Pamela was a good sport, and could have done more.

[Pete Martell]

A very large portion of the Knoxville episode is absolute trash that will probably raise some hell if it gets on the air in 2022. I will be interested in what they edit out. I just hope they keep the news sketch and Will Forte's "oh no!!!" sketch.

[PBnJay]

The vintage episode didn't air tonight in my market. Not sure if I'm glad or sad!

[Mediocre Gatsby]

It aired in mine.  I'd forgotten it was a Mother's Day show. They showed the Paula Abdul/Corey Clark bit, reran the Mom Jeans ad, Donatella Versace with her mom and Elton John in Italy, Darrell Hammond as Donald Trump (!! in 2005) in a Domino's commercial, which I hadn't even remembered. The Helping Hands telethon, WU with Forte singing a song he wrote for his mother about how he'll miss her when she's gone,  Action News, Bear City with a voiceover by Fred Willard -- these were some strange times for SNL! And I was watching back then, too. I remember reading that Paula Abdul had a kind of breakdown before she had to go on at the beginning of the show, but she hung in til the end. 

[Pete Martell]

5 hours ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

It aired in mine.  I'd forgotten it was a Mother's Day show. They showed the Paula Abdul/Corey Clark bit, reran the Mom Jeans ad, Donatella Versace with her mom and Elton John in Italy, Darrell Hammond as Donald Trump (!! in 2005) in a Domino's commercial, which I hadn't even remembered. The Helping Hands telethon, WU with Forte singing a song he wrote for his mother about how he'll miss her when she's gone,  Action News, Bear City with a voiceover by Fred Willard -- these were some strange times for SNL! And I was watching back then, too. I remember reading that Paula Abdul had a kind of breakdown before she had to go on at the beginning of the show, but she hung in til the end. 

Tina also said that she later had a less than warm encounter with Paula on a plane.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tina-fey-calls-paula-abdu_n_75287

8 hours ago, PBnJay said:

The vintage episode didn't air tonight in my market. Not sure if I'm glad or sad!

The episode was so cleaned up by the editors it almost sparkled. They removed all the worst, even chopping up Update to remove a comedy segment with Fred as a deaf man who makes racist remarks about his interpreter. Whoever is responsible for this task is not paid enough money. 

[DXD526]

I don't remember how raunchy this episode was, and I was watching then. It was cleaned up pretty well. Though I did enjoy Don Pardo greeting JK with a knee to the groin, Jackass-style! 

Paula Abdul seemed to be taking her whole thing with a good sense of humor, so it's surprising to read Tina's account. What a mess that must have been behind the scenes. 

[SoMuchTV]

On 4/10/2022 at 2:21 AM, Mediocre Gatsby said:

It aired in mine.  I'd forgotten it was a Mother's Day show. They showed the Paula Abdul/Corey Clark bit, reran the Mom Jeans ad, Donatella Versace with her mom and Elton John in Italy, Darrell Hammond as Donald Trump (!! in 2005) in a Domino's commercial, which I hadn't even remembered. The Helping Hands telethon, WU with Forte singing a song he wrote for his mother about how he'll miss her when she's gone,  Action News, Bear City with a voiceover by Fred Willard -- these were some strange times for SNL! And I was watching back then, too. I remember reading that Paula Abdul had a kind of breakdown before she had to go on at the beginning of the show, but she hung in til the end. 

But also, hi Keenan!

[Pete Martell]

https://www.vulture.com/article/mitchell-kriegman-snl-interview.html

An interview with  Mitchell Kriegman, a writer in season 6 who sometimes appeared in sketches and had a few short films that got on the show. Lots of great details in this, including quite a story with Brian Doyle Murray.

[Spartan Girl]

The Mike Myers/Aerosmith is the vintage episode tonight. Perfect timing since I just read Molly Shannon’s memoir, in which she reveals that the sponsors tried to censor the Mary Katherine Gallagher skit. They didn’t want her doing the bit but Steven thought it was hilarious so they went and did it anyway in the most over-the-top way possible.

[Pete Martell]

Tonight's Vintage is Sofia Vergara / One Direction, Kate's debut as a cast member.

[Pete Martell]

Vintage this week is Molly Shannon/Linkin Park, season 32.

[SoMuchTV]

On 5/4/2022 at 9:56 PM, Pete Martell said:

Vintage this week is Molly Shannon/Linkin Park, season 32.

As someone who has only just watched The Sopranos in the last year or so, I guess I appreciated that sketch more than I did the first time around. 

[Pete Martell]

Vintage this week is Val Kilmer/U2, from season 26. 

[vb68]

Very cool. I remember that episode well. My niece was born in the middle of it. It was on in the hospital.